UP Lingg at LSPIC 2026

Some of the Department’s faculty members and students are currently at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) in Iloilo to present their papers in the 8th Linguistic Society of the Philippines International Conference (LSPIC) from 23 to 25 April 2026. The theme of this year’s conference is “Charting Future-Proof Paths in Linguistics and Language Education.” 

Among the paper presentations are “Verbs in Unexpected Places: Mapping Positional Variation among Manner Verbs in Two Bisayan Languages” by Inst. Brian Baran, “Tracing semantic change of Malay loanwords in Tagalog using lexicographic data” by Teaching Associate Katrina Joyce S. Jose, and “What drives variation in Filipino? Evidence from rhotic and consonant clusters” by Senior Lecturer Kenichiro Kurusu. Asst. Prof. Ria P. Rafael’s co-authored paper, “Representing Rice as a Lexical System: Evidence from Tagalog Dictionaries,” written with Levi C. Cruz (Summer Institute of Linguistics) and MA Lingg alum Diane Manzano will be presented at the event, as well. 

UP Lingg also has two panel presentations: “What Carries Us Through: A Philippine Ethnolinguistic Question” with Chair Francisco C. Rosario, Jr., Teaching Associate Patricia Asuncion, and University Research Associate Jefferson J. David; and “Someone Feels Something Good: A Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) Inquiry,” which includes the papers of Lecturer Michael Manahan and Asst. Prof. Jay-Ar Igno, along with the work of Prof. Jayson Petras of the UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas.

The conference also features the work of BA Lingg students Fervin Earl L. Chavez, Edelweiss Chelsea L. Barreo, and Jenica Frances D. L. Estrellado, “Mga Kuwentong Nakabaon sa Hukay: Ethnolinguistic Notes on the Practice of Burol in the Philippines.”

MA students Ralph Deneil G. Mangalino, Jethro J. Bautista, Ethan Nicholas C. Salvador, and Leo Fordan will be reading their papers as well. Mangalino’s work is on “[N] Words in Kapampangan: A Preliminary Study on WH- Question Structure,” while Bautista focused on “Verb Argumentation in Ilokano Serial Verb Constructions.” Meanwhile, Salvador researched on “Exploring Stress Shift in Suffixation: A Case Study on Masbatenyo, Porohanon, and Bantayanon,” and Fordan worked on “Revisiting Binding Theory: Evidence from Clitic Doubling in Sambal.” PhD students Noronsalam D. Bandrang and Zinab B. Barataman will also present on “Maguindanaon Adverbial Particles: A Preliminary Analysis.”

Asst. Prof. Divine Angeli P. Endriga, Asst. Prof. Vincent Christopher A. Santiago, Inst. Brian Baran, and MA Lingg alum Jay Chester D. Usero will also have a workshop titled, “A Crash Course and Workshop on Dialectology.” PhD alum Ryn Jean Fe V. Gonzales will lead the workshop “Collecting Vocabulary through Semantic Domains Using The Combine” along with Levi C. Cruz (SIL). 

The following paper presentations from our alumni will be read as well: 

• “Alignment in Philippine Languages: Nom-Acc, Erg-Abs, or Symmetrical?” by PhD alums Ryn Jean Fe V. Gonzales and Honeylet E. Dumoran;
• “The DP-Argument in Polite Malay and Cebuano Imperative Constructions” by MA alum Rodney C. Jubilado;
• “Bibliograpi ng Piling Linggwistikong Pag-aaral sa mga Wika ng mga Negrito sa Pilipinas” by MA alum Diane Manzano; and 
• “Between Dialect Areas: Transition Zones in Catanduanes” by MA Lingg alum Jay Chester D. Usero

The LSPIC is co-organized by the WVSU and the Linguistic Society of the Philippines (LSPIC). Among the board members of LSP are Immediate Past President Aldrin Lee (University of the Philippines Diliman), Vincent Christopher Santiago (University of the Philippines Diliman), PhD alum Ryn Jean Fe Gonzales (representing the Summer Institute of Linguistics – Philippines), PhD alum Honeylet Dumoran (representing the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology), and MA alum Rodney Jubilado (representing the University of Hawaii at Hilo). 

Good luck to all presenters!